


Best Laid Plans

by asterysk



Category: Splatoon
Genre: (also featuring Autistic Protagonists), Action/Adventure, Characters tagged as they are introduced, Drama, F/F, Featuring Stasis Human Shenanigans, Fluff, Gen, I suppose, Mystery, Pretty much entirely typed on my phone so forgive any wonky formatting lmao, Probably counts as a slow burn plot maybe, Rated teen for alysha and pearls mild potty mouths, Science Fiction, autistic characters written by autistic author, i have a big plot brewin', i try my best, post splatoon 2, shoves this out before the Depression(tm) can catch these hands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-07 23:25:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15230313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asterysk/pseuds/asterysk
Summary: It's been three years since the events of DJ Octavio's return, Callie's kidnapping, and the escape of a contingent of Octolings to the surface, but as activity intensifies underground, relics of past ages are being disturbed.Inkopolis has been ignorant of what lurks below for too long.If they have their way, it will be even longer. They have more important things to worry about - The Splatfest Shrine has stopped working.





	1. Time and Again

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [First Aid Kits and Deep Secrets](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4692170) by [Littlemapleleaf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Littlemapleleaf/pseuds/Littlemapleleaf). 



> Hey, trying to keep it brief, but thanks for checking this thing out. This is just a taster really of the big plot stew i got simmering, and any feedback at all will be immensely helpful to me if i'm actually gonna write this, good or bad. Thanks again!

They stirred again, a breath of air from the depths of sleep. Misted imaginings of a world that once was took fleeting shape as thought scrabbled for a hand-hold. Once she had mental bearings, the familiar voice cut through the fog.

 

‘I apologise for the rude awakening, but there are changes in our immediate environment that require your attention’

Words took longer still to come to hand, but she managed to gather together some sort of affirmative answer. ‘Y-yeah, sure, okay, what is it?’

‘There is disruption to the network - we are cut off from other cells - and there are signs of lifeforms nearby’

‘...Lifeforms? What kind of lifeforms?’

‘Readings are limited, but potentially sentient, with signs of technology’

‘How quick can you wake me up?’

‘Two hours, sixteen minutes, following all safety procedures.’

‘Okay, stick to that, tell me if there's any changes’

‘Of course.’

 

In two hours, some twelve thousand years of dreaming could come to an end. Alysha clung onto her hope as the familiar fear of uncertainty lapped at the edges of her thoughts.

 

* * *

 

“How’s it going, Inkopolis?” A blue tentacled Inkling tousled his asymmetrical bangs as he posed for the camera.

An orange coloured Inkling girl, with tentacles loosely tied back, took over the shot. “‘Cause it's ‘bout to get goin’!”  The usual opening chorus left the sound crew frantically readjusting levels as the show transitioned into a musical jingle. Transition done, the camera panned inwards to the usual steady shot, focussed on the hosts and the screen behind them.

“You’re watching Inkopolis News, with your hosts, Barclay…”   
  
“...Aaaand SHELLEY! Sub-Merge comin’ through live, straight to you!”

“First up, it’s that time again-”   
  
“SPLATFEST TIME!!!” Shelley jumped out of her seat and started dancing in the studio, tugging at mic wires as she twirled around.   
  
Barclay was dangerously close to looking into the camera in despair “You never let me finish the script, Shellz.”   
  
“Sorry, too fired up, I could super jump right this second!!!”   
  
“Well, hold up one second, the theme should be coming through any second now…”   
  
Shelley comically froze position mid movement as her co-host drew the moment out. “It better, I can’t hold this for too much longer.”

 

“...”   
  


Shelley frowned at the puzzled look on her band-mate’s face, and then the earpiece to the producers started buzzing in her ear. “Yo, what’s the hold up?”   
  
“Uhhh… T-technical difficulties folks, we’re gonna... s-switch to an ad for a moment.” Barclay looked around the studio trying to non-verbally ask what was going on, all while keeping the smile for the camera. He dropped it as soon as he got the signal that the feed was offline. “Shelley, t-they’re saying that the Machine isn’t working.”

“Uhhhh, what machine? There’s loads in the booth-”

“ _ The _ Machine. The Splatfest Shrine, the thing that the Splatfest Themes come from. It’s… stopped working.”

“...Oh. Um. What do we do?"

“...Stick to the prompter, I guess.” 

 

When the camera switched back, the smiles did a poor job of hiding the unease they felt.

 

* * *

 

For the afternoon bulletin, the camera crews were all down at the Relic Institute, to get perhaps the biggest scoop of the decade. After all, a machine that had worked flawlessly since history began, and had become an integral part of Inkling culture, had stopped working, just like that.

Security tried to keep the crowds a safe distance away, a combination of the curious, the concerned, and the-

 

“ **YO, WHAT THE HECK IS GOIN’ ON!!!”**

The crowd winced and parted with the shockwave, making way for Pearl to march through to the front, face to face with the line of security. Cameras swivelled as Marina hurried behind her. “Hey, volume Pearlie-”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it, YO, WHAT GIVES! Marina was getting all hype for the next stage she was gonna build and now she can't?! And what about like, everything else?! The concerts, man!?”

Someone rushed out from inside the complex, wearing a lab coat and looking rather ragged, and looked over the shoulder of one of the security crew. “What was- oh. Please can you keep the volume down? We have sensitive equipment inside…”

Marina tried to hold her back, but Pearl was on a warpath. “Pur-LEASE. That thing's worked for centuries and its been through more than a little noise. It doesn't just STOP working like that. I bet Marina can fix it in a heartbe- HEY!”

 

Suddenly a lot taller, Pearl was carried back through the crowd in Marina's arms, and the security line visibly relaxed. Once she was sat down on a park bench a ways away, Marina seized the moment. “Okay, time out! I know you're used to making the news, but getting  _ arrested _ isn't the way to do it.”

Pearl’s glare was defiant for a moment until the seriousness of Marina's expression registered. “I, uh… shit.” A few deep breaths to calm down like she was taught later, she tried again. “Okay, yeah, I got too wild there.” 

That at least got a giggle. “Pfft, really?”

“Yeah, really, sounds wack I know. Just… Man, you saw me, I've told you before how much Splatfests mean to me.”

“Of course I know, I still remember that first Splatfest I saw vividly… you got your weapons confiscated.”

“Yeahhhhh… Not the best first impression for ya.”

“Hehe… It was great, honestly…” Marina sat beside her bandmate and pulled her into a hug. “Listen, Pearlie, you've done so much for me, but I heard you back there. I’m bummed out about the Splatfest too, but you throwing yourself at security isn’t gonna help. I can deal with no Splatfest, but no Pearl? Nope~” She placed a smooch on Pearl’s forehead with a giggle.

“Aww man, the cameras are only over there Marinaaa-”

“Psh, whatever, we’ve had worse.” Marina pulled back a for moment. “Oh, whoops, I got lipgloss on you.”   
  
Pearl grinned through the blush, “Give the cameras something to focus on, freshest new fashion in town!”

 

* * *

 

By the evening bulletin, an air of professionality had resumed - Or, at least, the usual level of professionality, as Barclay brandished a print out for the camera. “An update on the Splatfest situation, guys!”   
  
Shelley leaned back in her seat nonchalantly. “Word is that they’re gonna put it back a week while they get things sorted!”   
  
The smile slipped as Barclay looked into the distance, through the piece of paper in his hands. “But like, what if they don’t…”   
  
“Bah, they will, you worry too much Barcs. And even if they don’t, I’m sure they have a back up plan, tech always screws up at some point.”

“Yeah… you’re right.”   
  
“Of course I am! And as soon as we know anything, y’all at home will know too!”

  
  


The show faded into its usual chatter, and Reid found her mind drifting as she stared at the ceiling. What if they didn’t sort it out? There had always been Splatfests as long as she could remember. They probably wouldn’t stop. But what if they did? 

Cmon. Going in circles wouldn’t help. 

She padded round her room, organising the trinkets that she kept around, focussing on each one in turn, grounding. 

When her Dad called her for dinner, the thoughts kept looping in her head despite her efforts. 

 

That prickly feeling that change was on the way.


	2. Late Shift

When Alysha awoke again, it was with a violent jolt, physical reality reasserting itself with a vengeance. This wasn't right. The internal monitors flickered before the actual stasis cell around her heaved. What the hell-

“What's going on?! Computer?!”

The modulated voice slurred and stuttered its speech. “Intruuudurrrrr- d- drisruuption - networrrk f-f-faiiliur-”

Alysha tried to cover her ears as an almighty screech of metal resonated even within the cell, but her arms were so restricted by the space and wires. She could feel the panic rising, and all she could think now was to get out, get out, get OUT-

She tore through what wires were in her way, and wrenched the manual release open, the door clicking open but still pressing down on her as metal screeched again, like something was being dragged. A jolt, a tilt, and the door swung free, the sensation of air hitting her face another thing sapping at her attention, at her mind.

The next thing to hit her face was the floor: cold, hard, worn metal. More sensations, too many, but the adrenaline damped them for now. Adrenaline meant she was alive. After all this time, that was pretty good in itself.

A moment slumped on the floor as she tried to process things, deep breaths, grounding herself as the metal kept scraping around her.

When she worked up the energy to look around herself, it felt like the ground gave way again.

The room was empty- not really, but empty of what mattered most. The other cells were gone, gone or going, being dragged away by some kind of machine? Some parts looked flesh, others definitely mechanical, and all together?

It looked like some gargantuan mass of tentacles.

The adrenaline wasn't enough any more, as the gears of her mind jammed. She could barely drag herself from the room, away from whatever the goddamn fuck that was. 

 

* * *

 

The air was silent apart from the pervasive whine of electronics, shifting in frequency as an Inkling in a lab coat slowly adjusted settings on the meter. She frowned at the numbers on the small screen, and sighed, disconnecting the wires and placing it back on the trolley of equipment that had been wheeled in.

“No luck, huh?”   
  
The lab coated Inkling startled and braced themselves against the trolley, even as it wheeled away from them. “Oh my cod, why do you keep doing that Dad?”

“Hah! Sorry sweetie, I keep forgetting how wrapped up in things you get.”

She dusted off her coat as she turned to face him, his usual hunched posture and tattered outfit his signature, and a contrast to her. She remembered again how she’d tried to polish him up, but he’d flatly refused each time. “It’s okay. I was… just packing up.”

Captain Cuttlefish patted her back. “C’mon. Callie and Marie are fixin’ us up dinner as I speak.”

“Ma- oh, they don’t have to do that, I-”

“Shh, you've been at it all day. Besides, they insisted.” He took her arm with his free hand, his grip surprisingly strong, tugging her towards the door. “Hey, while we're on our way home, maybe you could try- whatchacallit, ‘rubber ducking’ it? I may not be a duck, but I'm as rubbery as they come! Hah!”

That got a smile, however hard she didn't want to admit it. Okay, maybe June could allow herself some downtime. A hot meal and some TV was pretty appealing right about now.

“Well, it doesn't look like it's a hardware issue…”

The door clicked shut behind them, leaving the ancient printer to hum its electronic whine to itself.

 

* * *

 

A hot meal and some comfy clothes did wonders for the soul indeed. So did offloading the problems knotting up in her head, and time spent with family watching whatever TV was on at this hour.

“Hmm, a cooking show?”

“Ew, no, this guy annoys me- Gramps, hey! No need to take the remote!”

“But I love this show!”   
  
“Extreme fishing? Really?”

June smiled over her mug of tea as they bickered, the good natured kind that made the house feel fuller and warmer. “Let your Gramps pick this time you two, you got to pick before.”

It was times like this that she treasured. They all were so busy - including her - and the apartment all too often felt cold for its shiny surfaces and minimalism. Perhaps it was sad that she could keep the place tidy, not for hard work cleaning but for little mess made.

 

Tea finished, June set the mug down and leaned over to Marie. “I didn’t say thank you to you for cooking dinner yet.”

Marie smiled. “It’s okay Mom, we knew you’d probably pull overtime once we heard the news.”

“How… how have things been lately?”

“Hmm? Oh, good, doing the occasional ad shoot and stuff. We're really just brainstorming the next album right now.”

“I meant more… the other stuff. You know, the whole Squidbeak thing.”

“Ah.” A nervous giggle as Marie played with her collar. “Yeah, it's all fine that side too.”

“Truth?”

“...Yeah, truth.”

The moment wasn't helped by the sudden shouting from the TV, as the host battled on the line against his catch - and lost, being pulled into the water, crew scrambling to fish him out again. Cuttlefish barked with laughter as the chaos ensued, leaving Callie to lean out of the way of his cane, still in hand.

“Gramps, watch it!” Callie turned to her cousin. “What was that about Squidbeak?”

“Mom’s worried about us, the usual.”

“Oh, yeah, we're okay. Besides, I've already gotten kidnapped, not like it'll happen again-”

“You put the shades back on, Callie.”

“I didn't know they were still active! And they looked so dang fresh…”

June sighed. “Just make sure I’m in the loop in the future, whatever happens.”

Marie placed her hand over her mother's. “Of course. Hey, maybe we could call up a friend of ours to help you figure out what's going on? She's pretty tech savvy…”

 

* * *

 

Pearl was passed out in the studio, face pressed into the soundboard when Marina strode in. “Hey, Pear- ohmygosh. Pearllll~” Marina shook her shoulder gently. “Pearl, you better not get drool on the keys. I love you, but that would be gross.”

“Ugggghhhh, leave me alone, five more minutes…”

“Not in the studio, Pearlie, c’mon.” She scooped up the small inkling and cradled her in her arms easily.

“Aw man, stop taking advantage of me, this is the second time today you've picked me up.”

“Then stop making me do it.”

The moment Marina deposited Pearl onto the bed, Pearl burrowed into the bedding so that only her eyes could be seen, framed by blankets and pillows. All Marina could hear was a soft, muffled sigh of contentment, and then snoring.

Okay, that was so cute. There was no physical way Marina could wake her up now. “Guess I'll have to tell her about the text tomorrow.” 

Right now, bed called.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another shortish addition, mostly to punch the Depression in the face, and also to show y'all imma doing this shit
> 
> Would have made it longer, but it closed off nicely there, so consider this part 2 of the previous bit maybe.
> 
> I don't think I can commit to a rigid schedule on this, but I'm gonna try and update regularly ish. I've published a couple of other fics before where I've kinda pushed myself too hard and burnt myself out, and really trying not to here for obv reasons.
> 
> Anyway shoutouts to my mum, who read the very first bit bc she's curious about my writing, really liked it and now I don't know how to feel about the possibility of my mum reading my goddamn splatoon fanfiction. She can't even watch me play bc she isn't accustomed to the camera movement Rofl.


	3. That Feeling Again

Reid rolled out bed promptly, eager to use their free day to work out the knotted thoughts still straining away at the back of her mind. They tugged at each other, and she was staring into the depths of her cereal until her Mom interjected.

“Hey, Reid? Are you okay?” Her Mom set a glass of orange juice (pulpless, no Splatfest result was gonna make her willingly drink sensory hell) on a coaster for her, and she gently pulled out a chair to sit across the table.

“... Over thinking, the usual. The Splatfest stuff.”

“Ah, thought it might be. Anything you want to talk about?”

“I'm fine for now. I'm gonna do some turfing today, try and chill. I'll call if things change.”

“Sounds like a plan. Love you.” Mom squeezed Reid’s hand for a moment as she said this. “ I have to get going now.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

It was only once the car had pulled away down the street that Reid managed to pull herself out of it and eat another mouthful.

  


Picking gear was a favourite part for Reid. Turf gear was so well engineered that the fabric felt so much better, and the extra flexibility built in meant that it never irritated. Which ones today? Well, which weapon?

She grabbed her backpack and shoved a small selection in. Dualie Squelchers, Splattershot Pro, a Charger on the off chance she felt like the team wouldn't be stupid… Ranged, where her focus was power. She slipped on her Annaki Offcut Tank - a recent release, nice and loose - her favourite, all purpose Navy Enperrials, and one of her many pairs of ear wear… the Squidfin ones today. Shoving in another couple of changes of gear to switch around maybe, that was sorted!

Now all that needed to be sorted was the ride over to the lobby. Oh well, nothing that some music wouldn't help her through.

 

* * *

 

Pearl watched the world from the balcony as it slowly woke up and got moving. Hey, she had to take every opportunity she got to take in the view.

Marina was still snoozing, having long since claimed the bed as hers. Kinda funny that Marina was the night owl, and she was the morning person, given that whole stereotype thing of inklings and octolings… Goes to show how much of a load of crap they often are, huh?

Pearl chuckled to herself and took a swig of her wonderful, pulpy OJ. Hmm… she could pen some lines on that.

Flicking through her phone showed up a bunch of texts: a load of them from her and Marina's manager (ugh, Pearl's morning abilities had limits…), but a load from friends too. Ol’ 8-ball, one from one of her old punk scene, Marie, AND ONE FROM THE CAP? Holy shit, it wasn't even a butt text. This was like, probably one of the signs of the apocalypse, right? That or some apocalyptic rhymes coming through...

[‘hey you up for some saving inkopolis from a splatfest_less future? we tried texting marina last night but never got a reply’]

Pearl resisted correcting his texting, and instead hammered out a reply:

[‘HECK YEA I AM!!! Also good luck getting through to Marina, she don't get moving before 10 if she can help it’]

No sooner had she sent the text, and read a couple of other ones from peeps, her phone buzzed again. Another from the Cap:

[‘cool come on down to the relic place and bring marina too. ill explain things there’]

Weird. But, if it meant more Splatfests, Pearl was game.

 

* * *

 

Splatfest or not, at least there was always the Crust Bucket. Sure, the tickets were hard to scrounge up, but that was probably for the best, given how deep fried the whole menu was. The fact that you could treat yourself like that was the point.

“So that's three regular Schwaffles, right?”

“Yessir!” The Octoling customer bounced on their toes in excitement as they slid over the handful of coupons.

“Ha, no need to call me sir and all that, kiddo. Alright, it'll be a few minutes, I'll call when ready.”

“Thanks!” Grinning, they pulled up a chair at the table they shared with two Inklings. “All ordered!”

The tallest of the Inklings, a long haired girl, rolled her eyes at the enthusiasm of the other two. “Okay, if I end up barfing mid-match, it's on you guys.”

The other Inkling wheezed with laughter. “Oh come _on_ , Lia, at least aim it at the other team.”

“Ew, no, gross. Get your head out of the sewer.”

The Octoling looked at them quizzically. “Trip, I'm pretty sure that would be against the rules… Either way, I'm sure you'll be fine, Lia. Trip and I do this every month or so and we've never had any problems.”

Lia shrugged as the tell tale smirk grew. “Yeah, I don't live off junk food like you two.”

“Hey, I ate salad yesterday!”

“Potato salad doesn't count, doofus.”

“Does too!”

Nate let the two of them bicker, amusedly watching them as their mind wandered. It was pretty funny to contrast them like this to how they were on a mission.

“Three Regular Schwaffles for Table One!”

That'd be the order. Good food and fun with friends was life for Nate now, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

 

* * *

 

“And that's all the time we have for that segment, guys!”

“Next up, we've got our Match Spotlight - with a special guest today!”

“He may have retired from full time judging, but he hasn't lost his eye for the turf!”

“The one, the only - well, apart from his successor - JUDD SENIOR!!!”

The camera focussed on their guest, sat on a high stool to bring him to roughly eye level, tail swishing the only thing betraying his excitement. “It's a pleasure.”

Barclay grinned, genuine and enthusiastic. “It's an honour!”

A smirk grew on Shelley's face before she elbowed her co-host. “Psst, flattery will getcha nowhere.”

That earned Shelley a glare. “Let me be excited, Judd’s a living legend.”

“...Anyway… Judd, any matches catch your eye recently?”

Judd smiled in his own way, a glint appearing in his eye. “There was a rather fascinating match not all that long ago, only last rotation... I see a lot of people dismiss the standard Turf category, but you can have some incredible match-ups that wouldn't happen with the stricter matchmaking of Ranked and League. Match #T-F4722 this morning was one of those.”

Barclay typed in the match ID, bringing up the match overview on the screen. “I think I recognise some of those names…”

Judd nodded. “There's an interesting mix of newer players to the scene, and high ranked veterans. ‘8-ball’, ‘Inkfix’ and ‘Max4’ in particular are regulars in both League and S-rank scenes. On the other hand, ‘Relik’ has been making waves by shooting up to A rank in relatively little time, and ‘xNereid’ is, in my opinion, full of potential despite only joining the Rankings recently. The other three on the roster are unranked, but play fantastically here.”

Shelley raised an eyebrow. “You're really excited about this match, huh?”

A low purr just about registered on the mic. “I am. Sometimes, you just have a… feeling about these things, don't you?”

Shelley's expression wavered. “I mean… Yeah. I guess…”

Barclay squirmed under the camera. Awkward, think quick… “How about we get t-to the footage?”

Judd smiled again. “Of course.”

 

In the pause as the highlight clip played on the feed, Shelley found herself squinting at Judd. That look in his eyes… felt like…

Never mind.

 

* * *

 

Lia stretched before packing her weapons away. “Well, that was pretty fun. And I kept that deep fried monstrosity down.”

Trip collapsed onto the bench. “Hey, we could have ordered you a Galactic. Although, that'd be a waste of a ticket…”

“Yes, it would. I've seen those, the regular is definitely my limit.’

“Nothing a little training can't improve.”

“I got better things to train.” Lia struck a dramatic pose, then flexing, only semi-seriously. She winked at Nate, who was too preoccupied in their own thoughts to pick it up. “Uh, Earth to Nate?”

“Hmm? Oh, sorry. Just thinking.”

Lia sat herself down next to them. “It's okay, just making sure you're alright.”

“Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking how nice it's all three of us for once… we should do it more.”

Lia smiled. “We should. Shame we can't make a league team with three anymore, though”

Trip leaned in. “We can still do classic turfing, Three. Schwaffles and turfing, training body _and_ stomach!”

The colour in Lia’s face shifted, her currently yellow tentacles doing little to aid her complexion. “Urp…”

 

The chatter continued until they were approached by an Inkling, who Trip recognised as one of their opponents from earlier. “Um, excuse me?”

Trip grinned at them. “Hey, how can we help?”

They looked slightly to the side, apparently a little embarrassed. “We played earlier, and you were all amazing…”

Nate waved a hello. “Nice to meet you! You played really good too.”

The Inkling blushed. “Hah, I'm only really starting out… but what I meant to ask was, what's your gear set up like?”

Lia pulled out a bit of paper and a pen from her kitbag. “Tell you what, I’ll write down our specs and turf ID’s for you, and in return you can tell us yours.”

“Oh, yes, that'd be really helpful, thank you!”

A moment of scribbling later, Lia handed the bit of paper over. “There's my number on there too if you wanna ask any questions on things.”

“Thanks!!! Oh, uh, my name's Reid, by the way.”

 

A few goodbyes later, Reid was re-energised and ready to take on the rest of the day. She strolled down a side alley as a shortcut to one of the main streets, until a voice called out.

“Hey, kid. Nereid, right?”

Confused, she looked around for the source of the voice. “Um, I only really go by that for turf… where-”

“Down here.”

Reid blinked as she finally picked out the feline eyes in the gloom.

“You've got a lot of potential. What do you say about using it to help me investigate something?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, I ain't dead. Had a rough couple of days, but still working on this. Just wanted to think things over a bit more. Shout outs to the peep who helped me talk a few things over. I'd add your username but I'm on mobile and tumblr mobile is utter poopshit so yeah. Will do later orz


	4. Echoes from the Deep

How long had it been? It didn't help that her sense of time was distorted in the first place. Add onto it passing out, and having not seen the sun for so long… 

As Alysha surfaced from her unconsciousness, her body felt… it just felt. Lots of things. Like a godawful crick in her neck, for one.

Process. One thing at a time. Ground yourself. Hard floor, dusty. Stretch the aches away. Breathe. Smells: Rust, ozone, some unknown but fresher scent on the slight breeze moving through… 

Alysha pushed herself to her feet, and looked around at the dusty shell of what was once their final hold out. The light may have been dim, but she knew how this room should look. Whatever that thing was, it had left this room seemingly mostly intact, though that wasn't much in itself. Most things left out were worn away with time, despite their shelter. 

Bittersweet. That was the best word Alysha could muster to describe the indescribable, with the haze of sleep still pressing down on her. It was sad. But she knew it would be like this. And that she was here meant she was alive.

Brushing away the dust and rust, she looked for something - a hatch - and she reached for the capsule nestled inside. The hiss of a seal, and it let her in. So they did survive! Her old shoulder bag, a precious few books, a preserved photo…

The emptiness of the room behind her dug in as she looked the photo over. 

Now was not the time. It wasn't safe here any more. 

She tucked them away carefully, before unearthing what supply caches she could get to. Preserved food and water tasted of little, but that was a small mercy right now. 

 

Alysha peered round the hole that whatever it was had bored through what was meant to protect them. A tunnel loomed into the darkness, and the unknown. She sighed as the breeze swept her face. It was probably better to stick to paths she at least knew somewhat. 

Turning back, she ventured through what was once a door, into the rest of the complex.

 

* * *

 

The meeting room was cleaner than the rest of the lab, for virtue of it being rarely used by those who worked there. Callie tapped her fingers on the table impatiently as she swung on her chair. “What's taking them so long?”

June sighed as she leaned on the polished surface. “...I was wondering the same. There's only so much I can get away with on the clock  before someone asks me what I'm doing. I still haven't been told who this mysterious technical contact of yours is.”

Marie smiled. “Well, they-”

Her sentence was cut off short by the door bursting open. “AYOOO, MC PRIN- oh man.” Pearl's arms and face drooped as she met eyes with June, the same inkling from the other day. “Uhhhh… sorry about yesterday? ...Ma'am?” The sound of Marina stifling a laugh behind her earned a quick scowl. 

At the same time, June raised an eyebrow at Captain Cuttlefish, peering from behind the new pair, who barked with laughter in response. “I see you're acquainted!”

“Only briefly.” June stated dryly. “Perhaps it's best we start again.”

Marie inwardly cringed for a moment, before pulling herself together. “Uh, Mom, this is Pearl and Marina. They helped out Gramps a while back around the same time me and Agent 4- uh, Trip, were rescuing Callie.”

Marie held her breath as her mom processed this. After a moment, she spoke. “So, they're in on the whole Squidbeak stuff?”

Callie smirked. “Well, they would be  _ now _ if they weren't…”

June employed the Mom Glare in retaliation. “Look, it's hard to keep up when your whole family decides to do secret agent stuff, and not tell me.”

“Oh, so, you're… Marie’s mom?” Marina interjected into the family bickering. “It's nice to meet you, Mrs…”

“Oh, just call me June, no need for formality. And, yes, Marie is my daughter. Oh, but Callie is my niece-”

“Because they're not actually sisters, I got it.” Marina blushed. “You probably get that a lot, huh?”

June smiled wryly. “Less than you think, I like to keep my head down. Relatively.” June got up from her seat and walked over to the computer and whiteboard, installed in the room for presentations and the like. “Anyway, I'm told that you might be able to help with the problem of the moment…”

“Oh, yeah, the Splatfest Shrine!” Marina hurried over and took a seat at the table. “I'd love to know where you've gotten to in figuring out the problem.”

Pearl took the chair next to Marina. “Yeah, Marina is crazy good with tech, even old human stuff!”

Marina blushed deeply. “Peaaarrlll, stop bigging me up like that…”

“Mmm, nope!” Pearl leaned in for a smooch before being interrupted by a cough from the Captain.

“Well, I'll go over my current data then…” June hid her smile behind the computer screen. Maybe these two weren't so bad.

 

* * *

 

“Where are we going?” Reid had lost track of time as she followed Judd through the side streets and alleyways of Inkopolis.

“Hmph. Just trust me.” 

“Yeahhhh, I'm starting to wonder if I made a mistake doing that.”

“A bit late now. We're here.”

Reid tried to figure out where exactly ‘here’ was. Some run down industrial area for a start… there was some kind of sewer or drain opening? That was the best way to describe it. 

“Okay, so what do you want me to do again?”

Judd stared at Reid with a deadpan look. “Help me explore. Inklings can get to places an old feline like me can't.”

“And why? What are we looking for?”

“...I have a hunch. And I don't know.”

“Well that's reassuring.”

“I'll pay you.”

Reid opened her mouth for a moment, closed it again, and then spoke. “Do you even  _ have _ money? You're  _ Judd _ .”

“Hmph. I have my means.”

“...Okay, okay.” Reid threw her hands up. “You're gonna owe me some turf gear.”

“Deal. Now, come on.” With that, Judd sauntered off into the gloom, his white patches being the only thing picking him out of the shadows.

Reid sighed, wondered what she had got herself into, and followed.

 

* * *

 

“That does sound weird… are you sure?”

“It's the only thing I can think of. The actual machine is working fine - it's the transmissions that have stopped.” June sat back down to the table. “The trouble is, we've never been able to pin down the transmissions. They seem to be some technology we haven't figured out yet.”

Marina folded her arms in thought. “So you have no way to determine whether you're right.”

Pearl squinted as she stared into the middle distance. “Well, all the ancient tech stuff is underground right?”

Callie's eyes widened as she sat up straight suddenly. “You're suggesting we try and go down there and find the source?”

Marie shook her head. “C'mon, you know down there is swimming with Octarians. Besides, the transmission could be coming from pretty much anywhere.”

June blinked as an idea hit her. “Wait. I… think we're on to something.” She stood up and strode over to the whiteboard, taking one of the pens and starting to jot things down. “You're right, pretty much all the working ancient technology is underground, and it could be anywhere,  _ and _ there's Octarians all around down there…” 

June paused for a moment as she checked her logic. “Pearl.”

“Uh, what?”

“You said it yesterday, tech that's worked perfectly for thousands of years doesn't really stop working without reason… what if Octarian activity disrupted the transmissions? Then, we'd just trace what they've been doing, and we'd potentially find the source.”

“SOUNDS LIKE A JOB FOR THE NEW SQUIDBEAK SPLATOON!” There was a scrape of a chair as the Captain got up suddenly, waving his cane in the air, and then a pained cry. “...I think I pulled something.”

 

* * *

 

Climbing upwards through a maze of mistily remembered hallways and rooms, trudging literally through the past. Rooms where Alysha had spent good parts of her childhood, holed up, sheltering from those who simply devoured. Time spent hoping, and engineering a way to outlast them. 

This room had been a farm, long ago. A small underground spring had provided water and power to grow vast varieties of crops. She remembered running through wheat, enjoying the feeling of the gentle stalks brushing past her. She remembered the rice harvest, and how her Dad had made paella to celebrate. It wasn't quite right, but it was the best they could do.

The higher she travelled, the older the memories became, and the more the ruins had been disturbed. Eventually, her recognition ran out. Here, she was on her own.

A small rest wouldn't hurt, she supposed. Whatever she sat on was now unrecognisable, but it served well enough as a seat. She pulled out a ration bar, and one of her books. Polymer pages had thankfully remained intact in the time capsule, and she traced the pictures of animals on the cover. Alysha had loved this book when she was younger, and it still held a special place for her. Something in it struck a chord with the situation back then: stuck underground, hiding from greed, scavenging off them while they didn't notice.

Relax, time to focus on something else for a bit.

 

* * *

 

“Good work back there, kid.” Judd scrubbed a stray bit of ink from his fur as they assessed their next move.

“Thanks. Now which way?” Reid surveyed the numerous passageways that stretched from their rest point.

“Patience.”

“It's hard to be patient if you don't know what you're being patient for.”

Judd didn't reply, only staring into space, ears pricked up. 

“...Judd?”

“Shh. Listening.”

Reid sighed. This was not what she imagined she would be doing with the rest of her day.

Judd took off suddenly. “This way!”

“Wha- hey!” Reid followed as quickly as possible, even inking some way ahead to move faster. Whatever had caught Judd's attention, it was making him move faster than ever before. They dove into passages without stopping, diving deeper into the earth. Eventually, Judd skidded to a halt, motioning for Reid to be quiet.

The corridor opened into a room, rusted and decayed, and in the corner sat-

No. What?

Judd moved into the room, tugging at the hem of Reid’s tank top. Whoever they were, whatever they were, they sat in the corner, absorbed in a book. 

Judd coughed politely.

They looked up, and their eyes widened, but they weren't right, they… were human.

In a language Reid didn't understand, they spoke.

_ “What the fuck.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup I smashed this chapter out today lmao  
> I'm still rough but hey  
> Shout outs to the Inkopolis public library discord, spotify's deep focus playlist, and my new love the jet squelcher


	5. Above and Below

Alysha looked at the two in front of her, back to the cover of the book, back to them. 

Okay, reality check… this was far too visual to be one of her dreams, everything checked out… but, no, there seriously could not be a bipedal cat right in front of her. Or, maybe there could! Or...

The cat padded a little closer as Alysha stared at him with utter confusion and bewilderment. Haltingly, they spoke, the first words that Alysha had heard for too long. “... Welcome to the future. I… It's good to see humanity survived in some way.”

Alysha was suddenly especially thankful for the solid seat under her, as things she'd been holding off took the chance to break through. All sense of physicality threatened to vanish as she lost her control over herself, as her thoughts and senses turned to static.

She stared blankly at him as she tried to stem the tide, and the cat spoke again, words probably rehearsed:  “...Hablas Español? Nǐ huì-”

They trailed off as her stare softened, eyes filling with tears. Alysha sobbed, and she didn't register it initially as they approached her. It was only when her face was buried in his now dampening fur, and a rumbling purr ringing in her ears, that she realised just how much pressure had been lifted.

 

* * *

 

Lia had only been home for a short time before her phone started buzzing away on the table. Sighing, she had grabbed her drink and scooped it up as she slumped on the sofa. In the time it took a moment to breathe, two more texts had come through. Now, that was odd…

The first one was from Callie, something about a mission? Investigating a lead on Splatfests, huh. The second one was from Trip, asking if she had got a text too, and the third was from Marie, saying that Callie had forgotten to include the important info of where to meet up.

So now Lia found herself being tackled by her overly excited teammate as soon as she came out the other side of the kettle. “Lia!!!! First group mission!!! We're gonna  _ rock  _ it-” 

“Trip, I have my gun, give me some space or I'll use it.”

Trip pouted but thankfully stepped back. “‘Kay, sorry. But still! ...and we should probably be using codenames now.”

Now she was able, Lia looked round the base that had been cobbled together at short notice - a small watch cabin, a tech station still being set up by Marina, Nate, and some inkling Lia hadn't seen before, a small gear station that Sheldon had undoubtedly provided, and a small crowd of people discussing something by the shack. It was kinda funny to see how the Squidbeak Splatoon had spiraled into this when it was once just her and the Cap…

Captain Cuttlefish caught her eye and called her over to the crowd. “Agent 3! C'mon, we haven't time to waste, we'll get you up to speed.”

Striding over to the bustle, they all turned to greet her, even getting a hug from Callie. “It's been too long, Three.” 

“Yeah, long time no see, Cal- uh, Agent 1.” Lia laughed embarrassedly. “Still gotta get into codename mode. So, what's the plan this time?”

Cuttlefish cleared his throat, and pulled out a worn, annotated map. “This is more reconnaissance than your previous missions. Here in Octo Crater is where the Octarian menace has been most active lately, right on the edge of their main territory. Following June’s reasoning- oh, wait, have you met before? June is my daughter-”

“And I'm Marie's mom!” June shouted over to the group from the tech station. “Pleasure to meet you!”

Cuttlefish chuckled for a moment as he got back on track. “Where was I, oh yes- following June's logic, this is our best chance at finding a reason behind the Splatfest Shrine packing up! So, your mission is to scope out anything of interest down there, whatever that may be. Even the smallest detail could be the key to saving Inkopolis from a Splatfest-less future!”

Lia nodded in acknowledgment. “Gotcha. Although, are me, Four and Eight going in as a group or splitting up?”

“We're not entirely sure what's going on down there, so you'll be a group to start with.” Cuttlefish scratched his beard. “Any other questions?”

“No- uh, wait, yes, what's with all the gadgets?”

“Oh! Uh, I'll let June explain…?” Cuttlefish walked over to the tech station, careful to avoid the trailing wires on the ground. 

June was obviously excited to be on the team, practically bouncing to attention. “No problem! With the help of Marina here, we've rigged up some improved monitoring and communication equipment for you all down there. You can talk to each other when you need to, and we'll be able give you real time feedback in case you miss something. What we'll be keeping an eye out for especially is any old Human relics that might be relevant.” June dug out a device from the jumble of gadgets around her, and gently turned Lia around, fitting it to the ink tank apparatus before connecting it to the headset. “There's a microphone here, this is a body cam, and this back here is the transceiver - it's got some other sensors in it too, but nothing you need to worry about. Oh, and a safety device in case you run into serious trouble, it'll protect you until someone can reach you. I'm sure I've forgotten something, but that's all I can think of right now…” 

Marina laughed. “Nah, sounds like you got it all, June.” She handed another device to June, who started fitting Trip with it. 

Marina picked up another device and turned to Nate, but paused for a moment, frowning. “You sure you're okay going down there again?”

Nate sighed and looked down, as if looking through the ground. “I'll be fine as long as everyone's only a audio line away.” They mustered a wistful smile. “I'll have Three and Four with me, and who knows? We might be able to help some others get to the surface.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Lia chimed in, “things have been pretty quiet down there since all those Octolings escaped, even when Octavio managed to break out again. Maybe there's a lot more waiting for a way to get out.” 

Nate gave Lia a thumbs up just before they were smothered by a hug from Marina. “Okay, but don't be scared to say if its getting too much, we'll pull you out.”

The moment was halted by a shout coming from further into the Octarian outpost. “Marina! All the receivers are wired up!” Pearl came skidding to a halt. “Oh, man, I missed everyone showing up? Laaaameee…”

Cuttlefish barked with laughter. “You didn't miss much: we were just getting everyone up to speed. You're here for the important part! Are we ready to save our Splatfests?!”

The cheer that resonated throughout the landscape was almost deafening, (thanks in no small part to Pearl). Cuttlefish laughed till he wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye quickly. “Well then! I'll take that as a yes!”

 

* * *

 

Judd padded back through the tunnels, the human he had discovered shuffling behind him. He had been going on hunch and hope - and now that the stark reality of the situation had stared him in the face, Judd realised the size of the hole he'd just dug for himself. There was so much that needed to be done, and a lot of questions that wanted answers.

They needed help, shelter. The residents of Inkopolis and beyond had come to know humanity as something more akin to mythology than history. What would they do? Reid had already seen them and they didn't know what to make of it. They had been awfully quiet as they had journeyed back upwards. 

Judd didn't know what they would make of it, but he knew how he felt about it. It felt right.

Reid broke the silence of the dim corridors. “Um, Mr. Judd? Are they really human?”

“Hmph. Yes. Bones and all.” Judd paused to look at the two trailing him, forcing himself to peel his eyes away from the exhausted gaze of their refugee so he could think straight. Looking at Reid and the human together felt strange… like a clash of times, anachronistic. “I'm sorry to have dragged you along for this, Reid.”

“It's okay. You owe me some turf gear, remember?” Reid laughed. “But really, it's pretty cool that we've found a real life human.”

Judd smiled gently. He could settle for ‘pretty cool’. 

The human ventured speaking again, talking in a tired and soft tone. It took a moment for Judd to piece together his knowledge to translate what they said: “Thank you for helping me. Do you know how long has it been?”

Judd wondered just what to tell them, seeing how fragile they seemed. “...It's been twelve thousand years.”

They seemed to process this information, taking a deep breath to steady themselves. “So the computer was right. I would have thought that twelve thousand years would have been too short a time for new intelligent species to develop. Is… uh, is the other person descended from some kind of cephalopod?”

“...Yes, they are. A lot has happened since humanity… well…” Judd muttered under his breath. Just because he could talk didn't mean he was good at navigating things like this.

“You can say they died. I know how bad things were.” The way they said it so matter-of-factly stung. “Um, what's your names? I'm Alysha.”

“I'm Judd, and this,” as he gestured with a paw, “is Reid. And she's an ‘Inkling’”

Alysha smiled. “Pretty cool I got to meet another species.”

Judd chuckled. “You know, she said much the same.” Alysha looked across to Reid and smiled. Judd supposed, for all they looked different, they really did have multitudes the same. 

Reid shuffled uncomfortably as Alysha looked at her. “Uh, what were you talking about?”

Judd sighed. He was going to have to do a lot of this until Alysha picked up the language… “They were asking what you were, and they said it was pretty cool they got to meet another species. Their name is Alysha.”

Reassured, Reid smiled back. “Nice to meet you, Alysha.”

Judd motioned for everyone to move on. “Come on. We aren't too far away.”

 

* * *

 

The kettle had been relatively easy to find, as the Octarians seemingly hadn't learnt to use some other method to hide them than plain camouflage. A few last minute checks, making sure that the three agents’ ink was synced up, and they hopped into the transportation system.

Going into a kettle was always odd, as they used something to shorten the distance or something… Trip never picked up on all the technical explanations that Marina and Nate had tried to give, he just knew it was wack science, and that the journey always made his inksac churn.

When they came out the other side, what hit Trip first was everything being just slightly… off. “Yo, where's all the spinny security stuff and the Octotroopers?”

Lia peered over the edge of the platform. “Dunno. Maybe because there's no zapfish this time? Na- sorry, Eight, don't suppose you know anything?”

Nate shook their head. “I don't remember this place at all. Looks like there's a way down though…” They pointed to a platform a short way down from where they were, that looked like it moved down.

Lia frowned. “Does it go down to the ground of the cavern? That's… unlike the Octarians. “

Trip shrugged. “It's not like we can see any other way here, come on.” He jumped down, sticking the landing, and gesturing for the other two to join him as the platform juddered downwards slowly. 

Lia and Nate looked at each other before, they too, ventured deeper into the Earth.

 

* * *

 

It had been twelve thousand years since Alysha had seen the sun. Now she had clambered her way out of the Earth, and here it was. It may have been sinking behind the buildings, but it still counted. Fresh air! City air at that! Once upon a time, that would have felt like a contradiction, but right now, civilization was more than welcome.

Her stomach took this time to groan. Oh yeah, food. Looking around her though, the prospect of a ration bar didn't quite cut it. “Where are we going to now? I'm kinda hungry.”

Judd cursed under his breath. “I'll find a place for you to go for now.” Judd turned to Reid and got her attention by tugging at her tank top. Switching languages was getting easier, but more irritating… “Can I borrow your phone for a moment?”

Reid blinked. “Um, sure?” She dug out her phone, complete with a neon green patterned case and charms, and handed it to Judd.

“Thank you. Now, let's see if this phone tolerates my paws…” Clumsily, Judd typed a number into the phone, and pressed dial. The phone rang a few times before a voice on the other end answered. 

“Heyo, Shelley here.”

“Hello Shelley, it's Judd. I'd like some help with that thing I told you about earlier…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its nearly midnight and I haven't really reread the last bit so forgive me if its messy  
> This chapter is dedicated to the government finally paying me the money I'm owed and the continuous dilemma whether or not to buy the off the hook amiibo set as a treat  
> Sleep is for the weak I say as I crawl into bed

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for sticking with me so far. :P
> 
> Shout outs to Littlemapleleaf for writing FaKaDS, the fic which I binged and most likely set this thing brewing so yeah, you rock~
> 
> Honestly the most helpful thing for helping me write would be someone to bounce things off, so if any of y'all wanna beta / soundboard shoot me a message or something here or on tumblr (flowerforestbiomes.tumblr).
> 
> Plans for this are maybe a bit unwieldy, and i full well know that best laid plans dont... always work out lmao, but I'll stick to things. Can't promise regular updates but I'll try :thumbsup:


End file.
